The invention relates to a method for locating a detection microchip.
Detection microchips that are attached to products and store unique identifying information are being used increasingly for the identification of goods that are kept in stock and being transported. The goods can be identified by reading the identification information via a reader.
If multiple products are contained in a transport or storage unit of extensive physical space, detection microchips and readers having a sufficiently large detection range are needed for the identification. A method for isolating them must also be implemented. Detection microchips and readers that operate at frequencies in the UHF range and above satisfy the prerequisites for this. In this frequency range, it is possible to achieve both the physical range and a sufficiently high data transmission rate to be able to isolate and read separately all the detection microchips that are located in the desired detection range at the same time, and to do so within an acceptable period of time.
However, since field propagation in the UHF range can be inhomogeneous due to reflection and absorption, the transmission power and reception sensitivity of the reader must be sufficient to allow the detection microchips to be read reliably even under unfavourable constellations in the desired detection range. As a result, the problem arises that the capture field cannot be restricted in targeted manner to a selected transport or storage unit when there are multiple transport or storage units, but instead also detects adjacent transport or storage units. Thus, in order to be able to distinguish products of a selected transport or storage unit from products of other transport or storage units, the microchips attached to the products must therefore also be located and then selected after they have been read.